The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for forming pleats in compliant material, such as drapery material or the like.
Pleats are usually formed by hand, by a sewing machine operator, and then sewn into place on the machine. The material can be quite thick and stiff, particularly if it is lined, and the operator must gauge the depth of the pleats, fold the material and try to keep that dimension constant in each pleat, and then sew (or otherwise secure) the pleats into final position. Obviously, the more tucks or folds there are in each pleat, the more cumbersome and difficult this operation becomes, requiring considerable dexterity and digital strength, and encountering frustration if the operator loses grasp of the manually formed pleats in the process of forming them.
One apparatus presently exists including fingers which interengage from opposite sides of the material to gather the material and form the pleats. While this apparatus is capable of forming the pleats, this apparatus may be difficult to operate as the centerline of the pleats may move during the formation of the pleat. As the fingers interlock from opposite sides of the material, more material may be drawn from one side of the center finger than the other, causing the center of the pleat to laterally shift during the interlocking phase. This could be a time consuming project as the pleat must be unfolded and again pleated. It is necessary to accurately position the pleat centerlines, as the cosmetic appearance of the completed drapery is dependent upon their position, as the pleats are used to retain hooks upon which the drapes are hung.